Aussie women outclass Scotland

COMM GAMES HOCKEY: Jodie Kenny’s second hat-trick in as many matches launched Australia’s women’s
hockey team to a 9-0 win over the hosts Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow on Sunday. The result puts the Aussies on the brink of the semi-finals
with a draw in Monday’s match against England enough to see them through to the
final four irrespective of other results.

Ashleigh Nelson, Georgia Nanscawen, Brooke Peris and Jayde Taylor also found
the target while Anna Flanagan netted a double and was unfortunate not to get
her own hat-trick after seeing a late penalty stroke hit the post. Edwina Bone
made her 50th appearance for Australia in the match.

It was a comprehensive display of Australia’s penalty corner prowess with the
first seven goals all coming from set-plays.

Kenny’s third minute rocket inside the left post indicated what might come,
however, the girls in green and gold had to wait for more than quarter of an
hour for their second as Scotland reacted to the goal. Saves by Scottish
goalkeeper Amy Gibson from Kenny and Jane Claxton almost paid off when, at the
other end, Nikki Kidd dived to deflect a cross but it went high and wide of
Rachael Lynch’s goal.

When it came, Australia’s second goal was all about improvisation. Kenny’s
initial shot was saved and rebounded to Brooke Peris, who could only scoop the
ball up and across goal. But quick thinking by Western Australian Ashleigh
Nelson saw her bat the ball above her head and into the goal for 2-0. Less than
a minute later it was 3-0 as Kenny opted to go low, finding the bottom left
corner.

Early in the second half Australia won a series of penalty corners, including
the one that would give Kenny her hat-trick. Initially awarded as a penalty
stroke, Scotland successfully appealed to the video umpire who overturned the
decision but awarded a corner. It made little difference to Kenny, however, as
she rifled a carbon copy low flick into the bottom left corner for 4-0.

Her fellow corner flicker Flanagan got off the mark midway through the half,
firing into the bottom left corner through a crowd of bodies for 5-0.

Although by now the rain had stopped it was raining goals in Glasgow. Just two
minutes later Victorian Georgia Nanscawen made it 6-0 as she deflected
Flanagan’s corner up and over the goalkeeper from close range.

Flanagan doubled her tally to put the Aussies in seventh heaven with a top
corner flick before Brooke Peris made it 8-0, firing home after Jayde Taylor
had dispossessed a defender at the top of the circle. Taylor herself got in on
the act with Australia’s ninth goal three minutes from time before only the
width of the post denied Flanagan a hat-trick and the Aussies a double digit
victory.

When asked afterwards what pleased him more, the defensive strength or the
number goals his side is scoring, Head Coach Adam Commens said, “I think it’s
both pleasing. I would like to think that we could go through this tournament
without conceding a goal. I think we have the capacity to do that.

"We were very
good in the lead-up, not only in the World Cup but also in the practice games.
We have continued to improve; we’re trialling players in different positions
and I was pleased with how they’ve done that. I think that we can continue to
improve for the next matches.”

Looking ahead to Monday’s final preliminary match against England, Commens said
of Australia’s next opponents, “They’re going to be tough regardless. I’m
impressed with how they’ve been playing, particularly in the Investec Cup. They
had a difficult first match against Wales but I think you’ll find they’re a
team that will grow through the tournament. They were ranked number three in
the world before the World Cup and I think they’re one of the gold medal
favourites for this tournament and we’ll be treating them as an opponent that
can really hurt us if we’re off our game.”

Speaking about the work she’s done in practising penalty corners, Jodie Kenny
said afterwards, "We do a lot of training, as much as we can. Getting two
hat-tricks in two games is something quite amazing."

Stephanie Gilmore has won the Oi Rio Women’s Pro, Stop No. 4 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), after a massive day of competition in four-to-five foot (1.2 - 1.5 metre) surf at Itaúna Beach in Saquarema.

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